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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|